Allies Set to Follow Trump's Lead, Label Latin American Cartels 'Terrorists' at U.N.G.A.
On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, 14 countries are expected to designate 25 Latin American criminal groups as terrorist organizations, mirroring Washington's approach.
During the current session of the United Nations General Assembly, a group of countries is expected to take a step that closely mirrors the position taken by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration toward organized crime in Latin America. According to The New York Times, 14 countries are expected to follow Washington's lead and formally designate 25 criminal groups as terrorist organizations.
The move is expected to take place on the sidelines of the General Assembly, the informal side-meeting format where national representatives often coordinate joint positions outside the formal plenary agenda during the annual U.N. gathering.
Following Washington's approach
The report indicates that the Trump administration's approach of classifying Latin American cartels and other criminal networks as terrorist entities is now gaining traction among other governments. The fact that as many as 14 countries are expected to join in granting this terrorist designation suggests a broader coordinated effort on the issue, one that until now had largely been associated with unilateral decisions made in Washington.
The number of groups involved — 25 — indicates that the designation covers a wide range of criminal organizations rather than a handful of isolated cases. Such a step could have implications for the international legal and diplomatic frameworks used in the fight against organized crime in Latin America.
Further details, including which specific countries and criminal groups are involved, as well as the exact timing and format of the planned announcement, have not yet been made public.
